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Discussion Forum : Scriptures and Doctrine : The Unchurched Submission Issue

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narrowpath
Member



Joined: 2005/1/9
Posts: 1522
Germany NRW

 Re: The Unchurched Submission Issue

My dear fellow brothers and sisters,

I feel very much for those of you who are uncomfortable in mainstream churches and see their errors. I had left a couple of churches over doctrinal and moral issues. We do live in difficult times. I myself struggle to be at home in a church that compromises the truth but I prefer to bear with (not endorse!) some of the issues as long as I find a handful of saints there that love the Lord over and above being out of fellowship and wandering about.

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

I need others to watch over me, as I also care about others.

With the exception of imprisonment or persecution, not being in fellowship for a prolonged time is a dangerous place to be in. There are some around here on this forum who got embittered and are unable to receive from one another. They like to argue and bring in their doctrines but they are not in mutual submission. They say they only follow Jesus but do not care for others. There is little grace in their posts. They do not have the heart of a shepherd that lays down their lives for the sheep and they will not accept a human shepherd. I know this sounds hard but I feel this needs to be said.

Satan gets hold of loners by letting them think that they are so spiritual that no fellowship is good enough for them. Even Elijiah fell in the trap of thinking that he was the only one left. As most churches now have serious issues, the true church of Christ may be few in numbers but is omnipresent and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

My advice to anyone without any form of fellowship is to be beg God to show them where to go. Find some of the 7000 who have not bowed their knee to Baal. I am sure there are some likeminded people in your area. Meet with some saints, study the bible together, pray with them; 2 or 3 will do. I know quite a number of disenfranchised church folk in my area who are now forming new fellowships.

Being together with saints brings great blessings but even with the best saints there is a degree of suffering involved.

SI is a great resource but cannot replace offline fellowship.

God bless you all!

 2012/2/19 18:34Profile
narrowpath
Member



Joined: 2005/1/9
Posts: 1522
Germany NRW

 Re: The Unchurched Submission Issue

My dear fellow brothers and sisters,

I feel very much for those of you who are uncomfortable in mainstream churches and see their errors. I had left a couple of churches over doctrinal and moral issues. We do live in difficult times. I myself struggle to be at home in a church that compromises the truth but I prefer to bear with (not endorse!) some of the issues as long as I find a handful of saints there that love the Lord over and above being out of fellowship and wandering about.

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

I need others to watch over me, as I also care about others.

With the exception of imprisonment or persecution, not being in fellowship for a prolonged time is a dangerous place to be in. There are some around here on this forum who got embittered and are unable to receive from one another. They like to argue and bring in their doctrines but they are not in mutual submission. They say they only follow Jesus but do not care for others. There is little grace in their posts. They do not have the heart of a shepherd that lays down their lives for the sheep and they will not accept a human shepherd. I know this sounds hard but I feel this needs to be said.

Satan gets hold of loners by letting them think that they are so spiritual that no fellowship is good enough for them. Even Elijiah fell in the trap of thinking that he was the only one left. As most churches now have serious issues, the true church of Christ may be few in numbers but is omnipresent and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

My advice to anyone without any form of fellowship is to be beg God to show them where to go. Find some of the 7000 who have not bowed their knee to Baal. I am sure there are some likeminded people in your area. Meet with some saints, study the bible together, pray with them; 2 or 3 will do. I know quite a number of disenfranchised church folk in my area who are now forming new fellowships.

Being together with saints brings great blessings but even with the best saints there is a degree of suffering involved.

SI is a great resource but cannot replace offline fellowship.

God bless you all!

 2012/2/19 18:34Profile









 Re:

Quote:
I feel very much for those of you who are uncomfortable in mainstream churches and see their errors. I had left a couple of churches over doctrinal and moral issues.

I don't know about anyone else, but I didn't leave the Church that I last attended over doctrinal issues or any problems that were in the Church. I left and believe me with great reluctance because I felt God telling me to leave. I use the word "feel" because I don't know any other way to say it. I didn't want to leave, but God had other plans and it was imperative that I obey Him.

Even if God told me to stay with doctrinal and moral issues I would stay because I overlook that, personally, I love being around God's people whether they have their doctrine intact or they are out to lunch. When you know a brother has the Spirit of God and you love them you tend to overlook those things until an opportunity presents itself to squeeze in a hem of truth to perhaps help them on their way. But I have always found from the Lord's leading, He tells me to love His people, "Just love them and let Me do the leading".

 2012/2/19 18:57









 Re: The Unchurched Submission Issue

Quote:
Brother, perhaps you can explain this as to why He is not in our hearts?



"He lives in my heart" is a pretext that every sinner uses to justify their disobedience to simple instructions.

We don't need to follow a set of instructions they say. Yet they turn on their GPS and google directions when driving to an unfamiliar place.

But yet! we don't need directions to go to heaven. It's laughable ain't it?

"Seek the habitation of your Father" It's a command not a request.

 2012/2/19 20:02
pilgrim777
Member



Joined: 2011/9/30
Posts: 1211


 Re:

narrowpath,

That was a very good post.

Approved, thank you for starting this thread.

A wise old Christian once told me that "wherever you go, if you can't find fellowship, make it."

He meant that regardless of our circumstances we should always be about our Father's business sharing the Gospel. And he further meant that as soon as you lead a person to Christ, you have fellowship. And then what? You share Christ with each other. You share with them all that God has showed you so far in life (in the Scriptures and in practical living).

So, often we are looking for other Christians but when you can't find them just keep walking in Christ each day and you will be sharing the Gospel very often, sowing the seed of heaven. Eventually it falls on good ground. Some plant, some water, but the Lord gives the increase.

Our fellowship is with each other only because it is with the Lord, first.

1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Many are fellowshipping with each other, but the Lord is not in the mix.

The other thing you can do is to encourage Christians that are struggling.

So, there are people that need to hear about the Lord and there are Christians that are struggling and need encouragement. There is always someone around you that needs encouragement. I find no lack of either one of these people. It seems there is ample opportunity in America to speak with many. And just go from there as the Spirit leads. Build relationships and watch what the Lord does. Invite people over for lunch or dinner. Offer to pray for them, or help them in some way. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and we should be doing the same thing. The Lord opens doors to hearts when you serve and help others. The main thing is to keep your thoughts on the Lord and off of yourself and then you will notice those around you and you won't miss opportunities that the Holy Spirit is giving you.

Before you know it you will have more fellowship than you can handle.

Pilgrim



 2012/2/19 20:24Profile
Christinyou
Member



Joined: 2005/11/2
Posts: 3710
Ca.

 Re:

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.


_________________
Phillip

 2012/2/20 3:11Profile
narrowpath
Member



Joined: 2005/1/9
Posts: 1522
Germany NRW

 Re:

Amen to your post, Pilgrim777!

 2012/2/20 7:11Profile
Lysa
Member



Joined: 2008/10/25
Posts: 3699
East TN for now!

 Re: The Unchurched Submission Issue

Quote:
approved wrote:
Let me put myself out there to be stoned.


LOLOL You gave me my morning chuckle with this!!

Quote:
approved wrote:
It says, Romans 13:5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.


If I read Romans 13 correctly, he is not just talking about the “higher power” of church pastors in this chapter, is he?

If I’ve learned anything being out of church, it is that I wasted a LOT of time being “in” the church sitting in the pew of “do nothing” where a lot of Christians sit. I honestly believe that WHETHER WE ARE “IN” THE CHURCH OR “OUT” OF IT, WE NEED TO ACTIVELY SEEK GOD FOR A MINISTRY TO BE INVOLVED IN and not necessarily a ministry found in the church (if we attend one) but A MINISTRY THAT “GOD” WANTS US INVOLVED IN. Because I found another thing (being out of church)... that the church tends to want to control your ministry; imagine that. There have been a couple of churches that I’ve gone to that when they found out I had a jail ministry they wanted to put on their ministries page that “they” did ministry in the jail, not to give me money for Bibles, mind you!! But to say “they” were involved when they weren’t, total manipulation of the truth. I have to actively guard the ministry that God gave me.

But I digress; I truly believe that all of God’s people need to be ministering “His” gospel (the gospel of freedom... freedom from sin, freedom from demonic influences, freedom from sickness, etc) to “preach good news to the poor... to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor!” (Luke 4.18-19)

A city on a hill cannot be hid. When God’s people do the above, word spreads that there is someone who prays and people will seek you out, you will not have to advertise!!

Quote:
approved wrote:
Now, I am NOT looking for advice, I am looking to find out how you see the scriptures for someone like myself who is not under a Pastor.


Brother, (edit: but you got a lot of it, including mine!! LOL) but seek the Lord for a ministry to minister HIS truth to those who are without and you will do fine! We need eternity stamped on our eyeballs that this is about MORE than “church attendance,” it’s about being about the Father’s business whether no matter who we are... male or female, jew or greek, bond or free, white or black! To God be all the glory!!

God bless you,
Lisa


_________________
Lisa

 2012/2/20 9:28Profile
Sree
Member



Joined: 2011/8/20
Posts: 1953


 Re: The Unchurched Submission Issue

I believe it is God's will for believer to be part of a Church and to submit to the authorities of the Church. By Church I do not mean the mega Churches where you don't know who is at your right and left and there is no fellowship. By Church I mean a body of Christ where every individual is spiritually united with another and there is one spirit. Do you think such Churches still exist? Yes it is and God has blessed me with one of those.

In Revelation Jesus writes letters to the Churches and not to individual believers also he is addressing the letters to the elders of the Church. So it proves 1 Peter 5 that God appoints elders who are accountable to our Christian life. Hence it is better for us to submit to them.

1 Peter 5:-
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.

But the tragedy of today's Churches is the pastors are appointed by some governing body based on their education and not based on their personal testimony and walk with God. How will such pastors who work for Salary be a Voluntary overseer? That is why many find it difficult to submit to such authority who are themselves not a personal witness to God.

Brother Zac Poonen, during his young ages, submitted to authority of a Church. But the Church pastors never let him speak though God has anointed him to preach. He sill (knowing his gifts to preach) submitted to their authority and kept quiet for years doing only street preaching and still attending the Church, until God lead people with similar burden to start a Godly Church approach him. They started a small home fellowship which now has Grown by the mercy of God into CFC. Proving that God gives his grace to humble.


_________________
Sreeram

 2012/2/20 10:15Profile





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